GOP's Ayotte says she'll support Senate immigration bill

GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire will support the comprehensive immigration bill drafted by the bipartisan "Gang of Eight," she said Sunday, saying the legislation offers a "tough but fair" path to citizenship for the nation's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Conservative opposition to the bipartisan "Gang of Eight," immigration bill was on full display in the Senate. Voto Latino's Maria Teresa Kumar discusses.

"This is a thoughtful bipartisan solution to a tough problem," she said on CBS's Face the Nation. "And so that’s why I’m going to support it.”

An additional Republican vote is welcome news for proponents of the bill, which was drafted by a bipartisan group of eight senators and will be debated on the Senate floor starting this week.

The bill will need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.

Ayotte joins the four Republican members of the Gang of Eight who are pushing for passage, although Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has suggested that he will only support the final legislation if more border security measures are written into the bill.

In an op-ed on her Senate website, Ayotte said she will back amendments to beef up border security.

"Consistent with my priorities, the legislation includes more border agents, more fencing, and better surveillance technology," she wrote. "And during the upcoming debate, I will support strengthening the legislation's border security measures even further."